


Merging into a Violet Haze

by gigi2690



Category: Fringe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-27
Updated: 2013-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-09 16:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/776079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gigi2690/pseuds/gigi2690
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Olivia and Altlivia have danced around each other for some time, around each other's pasts, around their differences, around their similarities, and most of all, around their growing attraction. What happens when they stop dancing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not copy or duplicate on other sites or mediums without my consent.

Olivia watched as pouring the salt into the water made it stir to life. As it absorbed the salt, it resembled fog as seen through a mirror. The steam rose around her, a caress beckoning her into the tank. No one knew that Olivia used the tank from time to time. There was nothing better for a migraine than submerging yourself into a hot bath isolated from all light and sound.

Her thoughts were muddled, by both pain and exhaustion, as she mechanically removed her clothing. With every layer she removed, she felt just a bit freer. As if her neatly pressed suit was armor she no longer had to bear. As the last of her shirt buttons finally submitted to her ministrations, she let out a ragged sigh. Tossing it onto a nearby monitor, she descended into the tank.

Olivia greeted the darkness and silence as an old friend. It was odd that she found floating in the tank as soothing as she did given her past experiences. Her first experience in the tank involved trying to reach her dying lover, followed by trying to exorcize said lover from her mind. Then the tank was used to cross universes, also a rather traumatic experience. But the truth of it was that in the tank it was just her. Simplistic but poignant. That burden to do what must be done, the responsibilities of her past, the heavy feeling of knowing all those people out there doing damage that would continue to do so unless she stopped them. Talk about weight of the world, Olivia wasn't even sure how to begin to describe bearing the weight of multiple universes.

Her peace was short lived, however, even through the thick metal she heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening and closing, or rather slamming. She steeled her nerves and resisted the urge to jump out and face the intruder. She had no weapon, and it was unlikely the intruder would think anyone was in the tank. It was possible it was Walter unable to find sleep due to some breakthrough, either a way to grow a spleen or a new taffy flavour. Or it could be Peter; Olivia had arrived to the lab to find him on a number of mornings, pouring over diagrams, searching for that missing piece home in every line and equation.

Olivia crept to the door to the tank and opened it just slightly so she could listen. Whoever it was, they were pacing. Back and forth. There was a rhythm to it: a dozen steps and then the smallest of squeaks, like someone was spinning around on the spot. There was a voice, while it was only a low muttering, Olivia could never mistake it. It was her voice, or rather the Alternate Olivia.

Olivia bit her lip to swallow the groan that threatened to escape at this disturbing realization. Her alternate was the reason for her migraine and being here in the first place. It only figured her alternate would turn up the moment she found some solace. She'd come over from the other side to help with a case. Another hybrid shape shifter was making trouble and the other side wanted to show good faith that they were not behind it by offering their aid. Or rather the aid of Alternate her.

They'd spent the entire day pouring over files, looking for a pattern, a rationale for the shape shifter's actions that could be traced back to a source. It'd been a long day. The only highlight being the moment she caught Liv trying to scroll down on her file. Her fingers trailing down it, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and then furrowing even more at her at her distracted mistake. It was clear she was accustomed to her words appearing on a screen rather than a page. Liv's head remained focused on the file in front of her, but Olivia didn't miss her eyes darting up to see if she'd been caught. Olivia bit her lip to keep her smirk hidden and instead reached for another file.

The differences were so glaring at times, and so blurry at others. It wasn't as if she didn't smirk or find humour in life, it's just that she didn't choose to indulge in it. Liv seemed to indulge herself a lot. It infuriated her, as it often did, how little it seemed to bother the other Olivia to be around her. She seemed so relaxed, almost loose, a feeling Olivia could rarely manage even in the comfort of her own home. Then again, given that she could now hear the staccato of her alternate's harried pacing, perhaps she'd gotten more under Liv's skin than she'd realized.

With a resigned huff, Olivia pushed her hair back and emerged from the tank. There was no point delaying it any longer as her alternate seemed unlikely to leave any time soon. She avoided looking at Liv until she had both feet on solid ground. She felt off balance facing her alternate enough at is was. That said, it seemed Liv was the one off balance this time. She was just staring at her. She'd shucked her leather jacket at some point, leaving her just in a white v-neck and a dark cameo pair of cargo pants. Her gun was hanging limp in her hand, most likely drawn during her sudden appearance. She seemed like she was frozen in the middle of a movement, leaning forward ever so slightly like she had intended to take a step forward, but had changed her mind. Stuck in her forward momentum, when all Olivia wanted to do was back up into the tank.

All that could be heard in the half-lit room was the steady drops of water hitting the floor from her hair and limbs. Ironically it was when she was clad in only her underwear that she felt the least exposed to Liv, but this was probably because Liv was lacking all her usual bravado. She looked tired, even more tired than she herself felt.

"What are you doing here?" Liv's voice was surprisingly quiet. Her eyes were still appraising her, rolling up and down her frame. Looking for what, Olivia did not know. Olivia felt her defenses prickle at the question; this was her lab, her world.

"I could ask you the same question."


	2. Chapter 2

Liv scoffed at the question. She flexed her shoulders, and hopped onto a nearby table. Leaning forward she interlaced her fingers and poised them on the table between her legs. She just stared at Olivia. Olivia could see an array of emotions flitting across her face. She was so caught up trying to decipher the expressions, some familiar others not, that she almost started when Liv answered her, "Not much of a choice. I only have clearance to be here, at the hotel, and at the bridge." 

She swung her legs slightly to the side so that she was completely facing Olivia. She had a restless energy about her; one that Olivia often recognized in herself, but while Olivia's restlessness tended to manifest in controlled, tight movements, Liv's restlessness was more fluid, random. She swayed back and forth on the table, studying Olivia with a gaze that missed nothing.

"What were you doing in the tank? Not crossing over were you? You know there is procedure for that now." The sarcasm lilted teasingly in her voice. The accompanying half smirk stirred the same reaction from Olivia as it usually did; but slapping it off wasn't worth possibly causing a war between universes.

"No, and it's none of your-" 

Liv interrupted her, leaning even farther forward on her arms, her face cocked slightly to the right, "We even have some of the same scars." 

She casually leapt off the table and walked down the steps to stop a few feet in front of Olivia and the tank. Her eyes trailed over Olivia's underwear clad form with such meticulousness that Olivia's body no longer felt cold. Against her wishes, she burned from the inside out. She imagined that the water that trailed down her skin would surely evaporate before it reached the floor. Olivia refused to buckle under the intense scrutiny, instead settling her gaze on Liv's face, trying to understand. Trying to understand how this redhead could have the same crinkle in her forehead when she was concentrating; trying to understand how it was she was biting her lip in the same way; trying to understand that burning in the pit of her stomach.

Oh she hated her. The thing that bothered her is why she hated her. Was it because she took her life; because she had escaped all the shit in her life and was proof of how she could have been; or most disturbing of all was it because of how Liv made her feel? Off balance didn't even begin to describe the feelings she had in the presence of her Alternate. They were like two objects that weren't supposed to touch. The friction when they were in proximity to one another was so intense that it left her chafed raw by the end of the interaction. And as much as that friction and vertigo made her want to run, there was another force pulling her forward, that part she knew Liv felt too. Their interaction was against nature.

It was this force that pulled Liv even closer to Olivia's erect form. Liv's breath was hot on her neck as she traced a scar that went from her collarbone to her sternum,

"You got this when you were 6." Olivia's mouth fell open slightly, in part due to her words, in part due to Liv's voice in her ear as she traced back and forth over the scar. It was long healed, just a small crescent, "You had just learned how to ride your bike; there was a ditch at the end of the driveway. There was a dog; you swerved into the ditch. It took seven stitches." Liv paused and finally looked up from the scar, meeting Olivia's eyes expectantly. 

Olivia swallowed, her voice steady but slightly rough as she replied, "Eight. There were eight stitches."

Liv's mouth quirked, an indulgent half smirk, but this time it looked different to Olivia. This close, she could read every minutia of expression in her face. Liv's eyes betrayed a softness she wasn't used to seeing. For once it was Liv who broke their eye contact after a few lingering seconds.

Liv's hand moved from her collarbone to her ribs, Olivia unconsciously hissed out a breath as Liv's other hand came to join it, they were sure yet unnervingly gentle. A gentleness that Olivia had not felt in some time; a gentleness that led her body to betray her, igniting her senses, ever so subtly clouding her mind like someone had removed some of the oxygen from the room.

"I don't have this one." Olivia's eyes darted down even though she knew what scar Liv was currently tracing.

"No you wouldn't." 

Liv's fingers stopped abruptly against her skin, "They're from him." It wasn't a question. 

This was too close; Liv was too close: it was too much. Olivia flung Liv's hands away and backed up a few steps, "Why are you doing this? Why are you asking these questions?" Her hands were waving now, little drops of water flinging in every direction as she spoke. She couldn't have stopped at that moment if she had tried.

"Why do you care? You just want to know how lucky you got? How much worse it could have been for you? Congratulations, you're the lucky Olivia Dunham. I was tested on as a child." She took a step towards Liv and took a small amount of satisfaction as she watched her take a step back.

"They pumped me full of drugs, both legal and illegal. My stepfather abused me and I shot the bastard. My mother is dead. You keep blaming me for not trusting but you don't fucking understand that there has been no one to trust. No one."

The tense quiet that followed hung in the air. There was a sharp edge to the silence, her pain-leaded voice had altered the atmosphere. For the first time that evening, Olivia felt bare. The silence was pierced by a ring, via a cell phone issued by fringe division for her Alternate while she was in this universe. The way the redhead awkwardly cradled the cell was an unmistakable sign that she was from another universe. An observation that sounded far too normal in her mind. Her face, previously flushed from their interaction, drained of all colour. Liv's mouth fell open just slightly as she focused on the voice on the other line. The restlessness was back. Olivia had a feeling she knew what the call was about.

"Yes sir. I understand sir. I'll let her know. We'll stay put." Liv hung up the phone and roughly tossed the phone onto the table. It skidded across the slick surface hitting a beaker and shattering it. Liv ran her hands through her hair. Olivia absently cataloged it with the other gestures and habits they had in common.

"What did they find out about the shape shifter, and why do we have to stay put?" 

Liv's fingers were lightly pinching the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths, "The last crime scene found blood and we thought it was the shape shifters remember?" 

Olivia nodded impatiently, "and?"

"And... it wasn't. It was a match for Olivia Dunham. Essentially us since we're genetically the same. It either came from one of us or there's another one of us out there." 

Olivia let out a ragged breath and a self-deprecating snort, "God I hope not." Liv smirked, for once the two of them were on the same page. Liv's expression turned serious again as she turned her gaze on Olivia, a gaze that misses nothing.

"What?" Olivia balked, hands jerking in question before crossing over her chest. She was realizing that she'd spent a long time standing in her underwear at this point. 

Liv's expression didn't waver, but her eyes were open, surprised, "You don't suspect me of being involved with the shape shifter. They found our blood, my blood at the scene..." She trailed off, before her face broke out into a wide grin, "you're beginning to trust me." 

Olivia quirked an eyebrow at that, "Not quite. But I am learning when you are and when you are not lying. I'm learning to read you."

Liv's smile got even wider and her eyes were now dancing with barely contained amusement, "What are you reading right now?" She made her way back towards Olivia, continuing to advance even after Olivia began backing up. A few seconds after Olivia's back collided with the tank wall, Liv's hand made a resounding thud as it landed a few centimeters from Olivia's head. For the second time tonight their breath mingled together. Their chests were heaving now, close enough that Liv's cotton shirt was starting to become moist and cling to her stomach.

Liv's smile softened. She raised a hand and hesitantly ran it through Olivia's hair. Removing the hair falling into her eyes and slowly tucking it behind her ear. Liv's voice was quiet, like she was talking more to herself than anything else, "Life is funny, isn't it? Nurture and Nature. Our nature is the same, but our nurturing... has been quite different."

There was a sound of breaking glass. Olivia found herself pinned to the tank wall one second, spun around and hurled into the tank the next. Liv joined her with a splash a second later, shutting the tank door. The only light in the tank came from a yellow light shining from somewhere under the water. The effect cast a soft amber hue onto both Dunhams, highlighting the vibrant contrast of their hair.

Olivia opened her mouth to object, but once again found herself pinned to a wall. Liv had one hand against her mouth and the other tightly gripping her waist, fingers resting just above the hem of her underwear.

"You must be quiet," Liv's voice was the barest of whispers, "it's the shape shifter. I did not have my weapon and you," her eyes darted down at the miniscule space between their bodies, "surely didn't either."

They both stood frozen against the wall of the tank as the seconds ticked by. They could hear muffling sounds of things being moved around. Liv's hand had dropped from Olivia's mouth to the base of her neck. Said hand was currently pulling ever so lightly at the hairs at the base of her scalp, eliciting a feeling Olivia felt was very distracting given their current situation.

Is this how she was to die? Stuck in a tank submerged in lukewarm water, pressed against a wall by an alternate version of herself? She wasn't ready for this yet. The observer; he couldn't have meant this. Breathing was becoming difficult again. Sensing this shift, Liv tightened her grip,

"Calm down." Olivia didn't think she could. She grasped both of Liv's shoulders, nails digging in. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Look at me." Liv's voice was quiet but demanding. 

Olivia opened her eyes, and her mouth fell slack, "You're shimmering." 

Liv's brow furrowed in confusion, "What does that mean?" 

Olivia wrapped her arms around Liv's waist and pulled her until their fronts were tightly pressed together. She tucked her face into Liv's neck and breathed out a sigh, "It means hold on." The world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story is not quite canon. I bent it to fit my plot; I hope no one minds. Also can I just say it's really hard to write an entire chapter absent of light. Makes descriptions difficult, so I'd love to know if you think I pulled it off.

There was only darkness. For a moment Olivia thought she must have landed in some in-between. Walter had told her about it over malts late one Saturday night when a case had been long and sleep had evaded them. He had referred to it as nothingness in its purest form. There was a loud pounding in her head. As Olivia slowly regained feeling, she felt cold metal pressed against her cheek and stomach. She was somewhere. She couldn't quite decide if that was a relief at the moment. She hastily rose to her feet, realizing that the banging wasn't coming from the pain in her head. It was Liv, pounding against something.

They were in the tank. They must have been in the tank from the other universe, but this one lacked any source of light and judging by the increasing frequency of Liv's attacks against the metal hatch, it also lacked a way out.

Olivia could hear a long sigh that seemed to come from a few feet ahead; there were soft footsteps followed by a warm, wet body colliding into her own. Liv steadied herself by grasping firmly to Olivia's shoulders. After a moment her hands slid down Olivia's arms and settled just above her wrists. Perhaps it was for reassurance, perhaps just so she knew where to look when she was talking,

"The hatch is locked. If we are where I think we are," she paused for a moment. Something in Olivia's gut told her that if she reached out she at that moment she'd be able to trace the bemused smirk on Liv's lips, "then Secretary Bishop still own this lab. He must have barred it up." 

Olivia frowned pulling one hand away from Liv's grasp to run it through her drying hair, "Why would he have barred the tank?" 

Somehow she knew Liv was shrugging, just as she was confident Liv knew she was waiting for an actual answer, "The Walter Bishop on my side is not as open as yours." Olivia had to swallow the desire to remark on just how Liv knew about Walter's openness. But they were in a precarious situation; for one thing their air wouldn't last forever. Her eyes were straining to make out anything, but there was just black. She supposed that was the idea behind a sensory depravation tank. It wasn't the kind of darkness that looms but still has edges, lines and shadows. This darkness was heavy, the kind that causes your brain to malfunction and see white dots like a fuzzy television reception. It was the kind of darkness that suffocates. 

Liv interrupted her dark musings, "How'd we get here anyway? I read that you escaped to your universe by yourself, that it was the result of being tested on as a child, but what does that mean?" 

Olivia had a feeling that this was a question that has been on her alternate's mind for a while, only now it was within her rights to ask, "Cortexiphan," Olivia knew it all started with Cortexiphan and Jacksonville, but it was difficult to tell a story when you're still missing pieces of it, "I was treated with it as a child. I ran away before they could finish whatever they were trying to do, but the damage was done." Olivia let out a shaky breathe, trying to find that thread she needed to grab onto in order to steady herself. For a moment she took comfort in the darkness, as she currently found it difficult to school her emotions, "A few years ago on a case involving your universe breaking through to ours, I saw it. This shimmer. Walter remembered the word; it was the same word I used to describe things from the other universe as a child. Walter told me that I had crossed over during the trial. When I was stuck in your universe I came to realize that this" Olivia was loathed to call it an ability as Walter did, "chemical mutation was my only way home."

She fell silent. She could feel Liv's fingers rubbing light circles onto the wrist still in her grip. Small tight circles. It could have been subconscious; it didn't really matter. Olivia bit down on her lip and asked herself- not for the first time that evening- for a bit of clarity.

"What triggers your ability?" Liv questioned. Her tone was light, but there was an undercurrent to it; they both knew triggering it was their only way back. Olivia didn't answer. Liv's voice got sharper quickly growing impatient. Another thing Olivia noted they had in common.

"What is it? A feeling? A Thought? Do you have to hit yourself on the head? You know I can help you with that one." 

Olivia knew she had the right to know, but it didn't make the word roll off her tongue any easier, "Fear." 

Liv scoffed, eyes undoubtedly rolling, "You're stuck in a metal box with limited oxygen in an alternate universe, and that's not enough to scare you?" Olivia's silence was enough. No. It wasn't. Olivia could hear the wheels turning in Liv's head, picking her apart, studying the pieces, and trying to understand. She'd always been good at puzzles. She had a feeling she and her alternate had this in common.

"What am I missing?" Liv's voice was just a whisper, and it sounded even closer than before. Her voice was soft, she'd heard it like this once before, standing a breath's away trying to grasp how their worlds had molded them so distinctly and yet like so similar, like the works of the same potter. If you just look at the pattern, you miss the differences; a potter's wheel never spins exactly the same.

Liv's fingers were on her collarbone now. They traced her skin aimlessly in the dark. Olivia felt her heart suddenly start to beat erratically within her ribcage, and as Liv's palm slowly spread out just above the hem of her bra, she knew Liv could feel it too.

"It figures it would be intimacy that would scare you more than suffocation in a dark metal tank." Liv's breath was hot on her face. She was nowhere, and yet everywhere. She was stroking her wrist, holding her hand over her heart and coming dangerously close to cupping her breast. She knew she would later chalk her next movements up to exhaustion, stress and her migraine, but she at that moment all that mattered was taking control back. She was sick of Liv holding all the control. Olivia grabbed onto both of Liv's hands and spun her around into the side of the tank. The resounding clang was deafening, but Olivia couldn't find it in her to care about the bruise it would leave. She leaned in close until Liv's shallow breaths blew at the hair framing her face. She wished she could see Liv's face; for once the woman was speechless,

"You know you're not the only one with experience walking in another person's shoes." Her voice was rough on her own ears, this attempt to gain control was more dangerous than she had realized, "I had your memories pumped into my brain along with a slew of drugs. I actually believed I was you for a while. So I know," Olivia's voice trailed off; she put both of Liv's wrists in one hand, holding them over her head. After running her nose up and down Liv's neck, delighting in the shudder it elicited, she sunk her teeth into Liv's ear. "I know that you use your job to avoid conversations you don't want to have, and to justify walls you don't even know if you want to take down. You may share your bed, but that doesn't mean you are any less alone."

The tense moment was broken abruptly by Liv's laughter. Olivia's eyes flickered back and forth wishing desperately that she could make out Liv's face. Olivia waited until Liv's laughter receded, leaving her once again slack in her grasp. 

Liv spoke first, "I knew you were hiding something behind that tight ass control of yours. I've been dying to find out," she arched her back out so that she made full contact with Olivia's, "I never imagined it'd be quite like this though." 

Her amused tone grated Olivia's already raw nerves, "I'll ask you this again, why do you care?" The sentence started out so strong, but ended in a whisper. She let go of Liv's wrists, instead resting her palms on either side of Liv's head. Neither of them moved. Olivia could sense Liv's hands a second before they cupped her cheeks. They were cold, but Olivia was so flushed they were bound to heat up fast. Liv was cupping her face with a gentleness that tore into Olivia, searing her.

"Because you think no one does." With a growl Olivia pushed herself off the wall and out of Liv's grasp. She spun on the spot and ran her hands through her hair; it was dry now. Olivia idly wondered how long they'd been there and whether the shape shifter would still be around when they got back. Liv was wisely quiet, and Olivia came to a conclusion. Spinning back around on the spot Olivia pulled Liv into a brutal kiss. Olivia's hands were under her shirt within seconds, running her nails down her stomach and tracing a finger along the border of her cargo pants.

Despite not being given much of a choice, Liv responded with equal fervor, pulling Olivia's body flush against hers, drawing her ever closer by the hips. Olivia yanked on Liv's hair, using the resulting moan to press forward with her tongue. Their tongues surprisingly didn't fight for dominance, but rather danced with one another. Olivia stroked Liv's tongue with her own, drawing her tongue into her mouth and applying suction. Liv's knees grew weak to which Olivia shifted a thigh in between Liv's parted legs. Liv reached around and gripped her ass and thrust up, grinding Olivia's thigh into her center. Olivia shuddered as the next thrust caused her core to connect with Liv's hipbones. And everything went white, just before it went black.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv's POV

It took Liv a moment to realize what was happening. She thought the way everything seemed to ripple around her was a result of Olivia's lips pressed hard against her own, her tongue tracing the roof of her mouth. She was too distracted by the taste of her. A melding of coffee and Mint. There was a bitterness to it that made her toenails curl. She was enveloped in the smell of her. She smelled of some sort of flower; too soft to be perfume, a shampoo perhaps.

No matter how hard she pulled at her hips, she couldn't get close enough. Her nails dug into Olivia's ass, ever trying to increase the pressure, the friction. From the moment Liv met this Olivia Dunham she had known two things: they were two points that should never ever touch, and if they did, the explosion would be magnificent.

She was so caught up in the tangling of limbs and the sensation of skin sliding against skin that she barely noticed the world shimmering out of existence for the second time that evening. For a long moment she vibrated at a different frequency, out of sync with the rest of reality, and then everything just slipped away. The once warm water was now ice cold. She was no longer caught in an embrace of passion, but one of necessity. Olivia was limp in her grasp, her head rolling into the crook of her neck as Liv made to carry her from the tank. She waded through the water and propped open the hatch; the fresh air a sublime relief.

She carefully placed Olivia on the ground. Liv went to grab her gun, and did a sweep across the lab. It was quiet; he was gone. Perhaps he had found what he was looking for, but for now she had other concerns. Now that she could see the blonde, the vision alarmed her. Her face was so pale, lacking any of the flush that had previously graced her cheeks.

Jumping back and forth between universes appeared to be very taxing on the body. Within seconds Liv was kneeling at her side. She slowly lowered her head down until it was a breath away from Olivia's. The warm exhale against her face came at a great relief. She was still breathing. Rising to her feet, Liv had to use a table for support. Olivia wasn't the only one low on energy. She didn't bother to suppress the shiver that overwhelmed her body, rolling down her soaked frame. Liv picked up a towel that had been lain out. Bending back down to Olivia, she gently wrapped it around her. Being only in her underwear, Olivia's skin was covered in goosebumps and was cold to the touch. Liv slid one hand under her shoulder blades and the other beneath her knees. It took a few moments, but she managed to get to her feet with Olivia draped in her arms. Olivia's head once again found the crook of her neck; Liv fought the distraction of a warm breath against her drying pulse point.

As Liv neared the couch she couldn't help but crack a small smile, Olivia was almost exactly equal to her in mass, which meant Liv was able to lift her own weight. Wait until she told Charlie. When Olivia was settled on the couch, Liv sought out a change of clothing. Her top was over her head before she reached the back office. She knew that was where Walter kept the towels. She doubted it had changed. Walter wasn't much for change. She pulled the towel to her face and inhaled deeply.

It wasn't the technological or cultural differences between their universes that had made her feel the most out of place when she had been here. It was the little things. It was the way fresh laundry smelled. It was the way the air felt, thicker, like every movement took just a bit more effort, like the very air was fighting her presence. She leaned against the wall for leverage as she sought to remove the cargo pants that clung to her like a second skin. She dried herself, absently humming an old lullaby under her breath as she did so. Once dry she began rummaging through cupboards in search of something to wear. Walter would not take kindly to her borrowing his clothing, but she wasn't going to face a shape shifter in a towel. She spared a glance to the phone on the table; she had a call to make. She wished she were on her side, with her people.

When she emerged from the back office, she was dressed in pajama pants and an oversized tee shirt. Her walk was haggard, lacking its usual bounce. She wasn't sure how much longer she could remain standing. She didn't know how to move forward, Broyles had made it clear that she and Olivia were to stay here. No universe jumping this time. She had neglected to mention how they had gotten back. Her fingers idly traced over her lips. They were rough, almost raw. She smiled, but it faltered.

Liv ran her hands through her hair; while she was here, she might as well make some coffee. The caffeine withdrawals when she had returned home had been frustrating, more so because Lincoln and Charlie had seen fit to tease her mercilessly for her jitters, claiming she had been spoiled by the extravagance of her mission. There was truth to it. She got to wake up every day without worrying about a hole being ripped open in the universe. She got to eat fruit out of season and have coffee every morning. She had missed the efficiency her world's technology allowed, and she despised that Fringe division here was not top dog. She did not care for answering to a long chain of command.

Liv sat on a nearby table, drew a mug to her lips, and regarded her unconscious companion. Truth was, she hadn't thought about it much, where the other Olivia Dunham went when she had assumed her life. There were moments, late at night when she'd be sorting through her possessions, trying to unravel the other her. She once came across and old book of drawings, filled with dark disturbing images and angry faces. She didn't fully understand then, but she had known that the darkness in those pages was connected to the flask she'd found in the nightstand.

And to think, that what they were doing was switching places, but while she had been prepared for it, her alternate had not. She was thrust into a new universe, and forced to assimilate to a life that was not her own. Olivia had been assaulted by foreign memories, Liv's memories. How much did Olivia remember of her memories? And how come she hadn't used them against her all those times Liv had sought to rile her up? Liv would have in a heartbeat.

Olivia began to stir on the couch. Liv continued to observe her over the rim of her mug, completely unmoving. Olivia rolled onto her stomach. The towel slipped down to her waist as she stretched; the squeaking of old couch springs echoing in the otherwise silent room. Olivia's eyes were clouded when they met Liv's, unreadable.

"Are you alright?" Liv's voice was quieter than she had intended, but it didn't waver. The need to fidget was almost overwhelming, and Liv had to take a deep gulp of coffee to avoid doing so. She didn't want to give anything away. The balance of power between them was shifting, muddled. Liv wasn't sure what Olivia was going to do about what had transpired between them. She was half certain that Olivia would avoid the subject all together, but the other half of her suspected that she would want to rationally discuss why it was a mistake and shouldn't happen again.

Liv honestly wasn't sure which she preferred. Either way Liv knew two things, Olivia had enjoyed it, and so had she. Olivia sat up and wrapped herself back up in the towel, "I've been better, but I'm glad it worked. What about the shape shifter?" Liv wondered whether Olivia was referring to shoving her tongue down her throat or just in general.

"He's gone, and we've once again been given orders to stay put." Olivia was on her feet before the end of the sentence. Liv watched as Olivia pulled on a shirt and fought with the buttons,

"What are you doing? Don't tell me you're planning on looking for the shape shifter. You're in no condition."

Olivia didn't look up. Her fingers were fumbling with the buttons, shaking too hard to accomplish much,

"I'm fine," she gave up with the buttons and ran her fingers through her hair. Liv couldn't help but take in the sight. Blond locks no longer clung to her skin; now half dry they fell in a soft wave around her face. Olivia's chest was heaving slightly with every breath, her coveted control slipping through her grasp. It was funny. Liv had tried to elicit this response from her many times; she had made it her prerogative to see how tightly coiled her alternate was, and to free her from it. And yet, now she had, and it wasn't nearly as satisfying as she had imagined. With a sigh Liv approached, slowly as if not to spook her.

Olivia still didn't look up; Liv wasn't sure if she was avoiding her gaze or unaware of her presence, lost in the turmoil of her thoughts. Liv bit down into her lip as she concentrated on the buttons in front of her. She loathed button down shirts. They were so binding, so easily wrinkled. She could feel the heat radiating from beneath her fingertips. She was half done when her fingers brushed Olivia's stomach. Olivia's abs twitched under her touch. Liv paused, looking up but still finding Olivia's focus fixed elsewhere, staring at nothing with astonishing intensity given their mutual exhaustion. She was about to start on the next button when slender fingers enveloped her own, holding them still. Olivia wasn't looking at her, but her grasp was strong and unyielding.

Liv's fingers were dragged upwards, across Olivia's sternum and up to her right collarbone. Next they traced from her forehead down between her eyes. Liv was so transfixed by the motion that she let out a ragged gasp when she realized that Olivia's eyes were now locked onto her own,

"I feel these lines." Liv's hand was now pulled across Olivia's side, a few inches above the hipbone, "They wake me up in the middle of the night; they sear my skin, but leave no scars in the morning." Olivia's grasp on her hand tightened, and Liv winced despite herself, "I remember every dotted line. It might as well be inked into my skin like the tattoo on my neck."

Liv knew what she was talking about. She didn't know at the time that they had planned on killing her; she had -perhaps naively -assumed they would keep her alive. Only after she returned, did she learn that they had intended to cut her up, harvesting the pieces they wanted, and sending the rest back. It had been the first time she had given pause to consider the validity of blindly following her side. When she had been assuming her role, she had learned of a great number of misdeeds caused by her universe in the name of justice and saving their world. She had learned too late that she needed to be more cautious before following orders. Her side didn't always take the time to consider their collateral damage. Even now when they were working with the other side, she wasn't sure of the Secretary's intentions. And if she herself couldn't be certain of the agenda of her universe, how could Olivia trust in it, in her?

Liv grabbed at their joined hands with her free one, gently cradling Olivia's hand until it finally unclenched,

"I'm sorry." Olivia's eyes darted from their hands up to Liv's face, scanning her eyes for something. Whatever it was, Liv found that she was determined to give it to her, "I am so sorry." She took a deep breath; she wasn't good at these kinds of things. The last apology she had given had consisted of punching Charlie in the shoulder and stealing a bite of his sandwich, "I stole your life, and those in my universe had intended on not giving it back. But, I didn't know." Olivia rolled her eyes and tore herself away from Liv's hold. She was waving her hands, grasping at words that seemed just out of reach. Olivia retreated to the couch and sat down.

Liv made her way back over and knelt at the foot of the couch, "I didn't know, I didn't ask. But I would now. I see..." Liv paused as she felt Olivia's hands creeping up her thighs, the heat easily penetrating her thin pajama pants, "I see..." She couldn't finish; the words felt like ash in her mouth. Olivia's hands finished their journey up her thighs, snaking around her waist and pulling her off the ground and onto the couch.

They sat sideways- kneels grazing- Olivia in her half buttoned shirt and underwear, Liv in Walter's pajamas. Neither spoke a word. There were none to share. The physical and emotional exhaustion was too much. They silently held each other's gaze, until sleep overtook them.


	5. Chapter 5

Awareness came slowly. First there was only warmth. It radiated from beneath her. Next fingers dug into cotton, and she luxuriated in a long stretch. Her nails carved down, and there was a ricochet of popping noises along her spine. She stopped abruptly as her fingers went from cotton to skin. Liv's eyes shot open.

She realized immediately why she had been so comfortable. Her head was on Olivia's stomach; her body cradled between Olivia's parted legs. She slowly eased herself up into a half push up and looked down at the blonde below her. Olivia's face was strained even in sleep. After a minute her biceps started protesting from the position, but for some unfathomable reason she could not will herself to move. Red hair fell down around Olivia's features, tickling her face. After another minute, Olivia's hand rose to swat the offending hair away. Liv rose slowly, biting her lip in concentration as she tried not to rouse her sleeping alternate. She had almost eased into a kneeling position when she heard a low groan; her knee had found purchase between Olivia's legs. She could feel heat seeping through Walter's pajama pants. She froze and bit back a moan. It was too early for this.

It was near dawn. The soft drumming against the windows meant the rain was either just starting or trailing off. Liv hoped for the latter. A few minutes later she had finally managed to leave her alternate's side. Liv's bare feet silently traversed the lab as she went to make coffee almost automatically, that was what it had become when she had been on this side. When she'd assumed her alternate's place, she had quickly come to realize that Olivia's colleagues expected her to stay at the lab all night on a case. Liv may be known to pull ridiculous hours, but she had cherished a nice bed too much to go that far. It shocked Lincoln the first time he came into an empty office to find her on the couch catching some shuteye surrounded by a paper temple.

If Liv was honest with herself she knew that was partly why she gave her alternate such a hard time. She couldn't just turn it all off upon going home. For the first few weeks here she had double-checked every move she made, ever watchful of her colleagues, ensuring she was acting like their Olivia. But like every routine... it became routine. She found herself acting like their Olivia without thought.

She had thought she would be relieved to go back home, but she ended up just as uncomfortable as when she first arrived in the alternate universe. She woke up on the wrong side of the bed; she headed to the coffee machine each morning before realizing she didn't have one. Even the simplest of things: walking. She'd be talking to Charlie and falter mid-step, realizing she was walking like her. She felt like an imposter in her own home.

There were notes scattered on the coffee table, in her handwriting, but not written by her. The wrong shampoo was in the shower; there was wheat bread on the counter, Liv only bought white. She knew her alternate was coming home to the same thing. She wondered if her alternate would burn her clothes, her sheets; Liv wanted to. She wanted to start over; none of it felt like hers anymore.

The coffee was done. She checked the phone she'd been given at the bridge. After a few minutes of fumbling she confirmed no one had called yet. With one last glance at her sleeping companion, Liv scooped up her coffee, gun and headed to the door. She kept close to the wall, coffee in one hand and gun in the other as she did a sweep of the building. She found no one; not even the janitors had arrived. But it wasn't for naught, the task had made her feel better, like she wasn't just dancing on the balls of her feet, stuck.

Liv hated waiting, but what was more, she hated being stuck with nothing but her own thoughts to contend with. She'd always been the type to fixate on things, it was her mother that taught her how to redirect her energies and let go. Maybe that's why Olivia stays up all night with her cases, her mother wasn't around to teach her. Olivia's words from the night before came to mind then, "Congratulations, you're the lucky Olivia Dunham." Liv didn't want to be the "lucky one." It's true that she hadn't been tested on, she still had a mother and she never had to deal with the bastard that terrorized her alternate as a child, but Olivia, she still had a sister. Rachel was still alive, and Ella. Her niece that never was. Liv didn't cry when she got shot last year on a raid with Charlie; she didn't cry any of the 6 times she almost had to quarantine herself in amber, and she didn't cry on her first night in a strange alternate universe. But Liv cried when she saw Ella.

She went to their house, she didn't dare call or knock, she wasn't sure she could hold up her charade with the alternate version of her dead sister and her would-be niece. She just looked in on them, eating dinner. The walls were thin, she could hear Rachel's laugh; it was the same. And she could hear Ella's voice. Her Rachel had also picked the name Ella, but the child never managed to take its first breath. She had often wondered what she would have sounded like, how she would have looked, would she have Rachel's smile; she did. Liv stayed by that window for an hour after they had left the room, just in case they came back.

"I thought you'd left." Liv tried not to startle, but she couldn't help tensing her shoulders at the intrusion. She didn't turn around or answer. At some point during her musings she'd found her way outside. Tucked just under the cover of the awning, she watched the rain. She felt Olivia's approach moments before she saw the blonde enter her peripheral vision. They stood side by side, neither saying a word. Liv could feel the tension building between them; she just didn't want to deal with it yet.

Liv's eyes darted to the blonde. She had donned a new suit, and her hair was up in a tight ponytail. Figures Olivia would keep clothing in the lab, ever the professional. The only wrinkle to be found was the one between her eyebrows. Liv knew the look; she was being appraised.

"I was looking for a rainbow." The words tumbled out of her mouth against her volition; she was just tired of the charged silence. Olivia had grown bolder since the night before. She eyed her much more openly. Liv could hear a low chuckle, but she kept her eyes skyward,

"I gotta admit, I didn't see you as the rainbow type."

Liv finally let their eyes meet,"I wasn't really, but it's amazing how much you want something once you realize you cannot have it." She didn't like this conversation. It felt like they were talking about more than rainbows. She was never a fan of subtext.

They both nursed their coffees in silence. Olivia finished hers first, but then she was more accustomed to it. Liv still savoured every sip like it was her last. It was far superior to the bitter chews from her side. The rain was starting up again. She relished the drumming against the awning, that is, until a harsh ring interrupted it.

"Dunham." Liv only half paid attention, there were a lot of yes sirs.

When Olivia hung up, she started heading back inside; Liv reluctantly followed, "So what does Broyles want us to do?"

"Stay put." Liv didn't need to see her face to tell how little Olivia liked the order. Staying put wasn't something either Olivia Dunham cared for.

"Why are they keeping us out of it?" They were back in the lab now, with nothing to do but wait. Great.

"They think we're a target."

"Because of the blood?" Olivia nodded. They'd found blood at the last crime scene. They'd assumed it belonged to the shape shifter they were chasing, but instead it belonged to Olivia Dunham, although it was impossible to tell which one.

Liv looked around; there were papers scattered everywhere. The shape shifter had definitely been searching for something,

"We should see if he took anything." Liv was sorting though some folders that had fallen to the ground when she heard a strangled cry. She was at Olivia's side within seconds. The blonde was staring at an open address book, with a page ripped out.

"What was on that page?" Olivia didn't answer. Running a hand over her ponytail, she whipped out her cell. Whomever she was calling didn't pick up,

"Fuck!" Liv reached out to grab her shoulder. Olivia shirked away from the touch, and still didn't answer. She tried again, more strongly,

"Who was on that page?" Liv could tell that Olivia on the verge of unraveling again. Her breathing was irregular, her hands shaking.

"Rachel."

The drive was silent. Liv drove so Olivia could keep calling Rachel, to no avail. Liv was glad Olivia was too distracted to ask how Liv knew where to go. They were parked outside Rachel's house within 20 minutes, even though Liv knew the drive was usually 35. Olivia finally acknowledged her presence,

"You can't come in." Liv balked,

"Oh yes I am. You were the one that didn't want to call for backup. You're not taking on the shape shifter all on your own. I'm coming."

Olivia sighed and shook her head,"If I had called for backup I would have been ordered not to come."

Olivia's eyes darted from the house back to Liv,"How can I explain you?" Liv knew she had won.

She threw open her door and headed up the walkway, with Olivia right on her trail,"Let's worry about that after your sister and niece are safe." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she noticed the front door. It had been thrown open. Liv's stomach plummeted; he was there. They drew their guns in sync as they crossed the threshold. There was no sign of struggle in the living room. Perhaps they had gotten lucky and Rachel and Ella hadn't been home, but the shape shifter was. She knew; she felt it in her gut, an awareness borne from her days in the army. Olivia was on the phone again. Liv kept her gun ready.

"Rachel!" Olivia's gasp of relief loosened the grip around Liv's heart, something to which she hadn't even been aware she was feeling. She wasn't sure Olivia would survive the loss of the only family she had left. And Liv had to admit, she took comfort in the knowledge that at least in one universe her sister and niece got to live full and happy lives. Now they just had to figure out what possible reason they would have targeted Olivia's sister. Unless.

"Olivia! Get off the phone now!" To her surprise Olivia listened, albeit angrily,

"What! I reached her. She took Ella to visit her father. For once we caught a break." Liv shook her head, eyes darting to the numerous entrances to the room.

"Unfortunately I don't think we did. I think this is a trap." Olivia's eyes hardened, all relief washed from her face, replaced with a quiet intensity Liv hadn't seen since they had fought that day in her apartment; that was the last time they'd been in a life or death situation together.

"Why hasn't he attacked yet? When our guard was down?"

Liv scoffed,"You mean when your guard was down. I never lowered my weapon. He's here. Trust me." To Liv's surprise Olivia didn't object. A week ago saying 'trust me' would have not been taken well. But this was no time to dwell in the shifting dynamics of their relationship.

"Come out, come out wherever you are! There's only one of you and there's two of us!" There were footsteps, but they were coming from multiple directions. There were three of them, each blocking one of the three exits.

"Uh, Liv. There's more than one of them."

Liv scowled and pulled out another gun from her ankle holster, all the while keeping her first weapon poised on the closest shape shifter's head,"Yeah, I can see that. Good thing I'm ambidextrous."

Olivia frowned, her gun on the shape shifter in the hall,"You were only permitted to carry one gun on our side."

Liv indulged in a bemused grin and allowed her eyes to quickly meet Olivia's,"Really? You wanna dwell on that now?" She should be terrified. She'd seen one shape shifter take out an entire swat team. But for some reason Olivia's presence put her at ease. At all other times Olivia put her on edge, but now that that it counted and their lives were on the line... Who's better to have my back than me?

The one closest to Liv spoke first, "There's no need for this. We came to take you alive." He looked slightly off. He probably was in need of changing forms. Liv had seen first hand what happens when a shape shifter stays too long in the same form. It wasn't pretty.

"I think there's plenty of need. You see, we're not going anywhere with you, and we've been looking for you too." Liv hated few things more than being patronized.

The shape shifter closest to Olivia spoke next, "We didn't come for you. We came for the Olivia Dunham from this side."

Liv smiled, but it was a harsh smile; it was a threat,"I'm hurt boys." There was a gunshot, and they were fighting. They were so fast. Even the sickly one was too fast for most of Liv's punches. She did finally manage to land a debilitating blow to his kidney that put him to his knees. But it was as she landed the final kick that she saw that body coming at her. And unlike her punches, one from a shape shifter could break her neck. She started evading the blow but it was much too late. In that moment she could see death, she could feel Hell's flames.

No. Not hell. He was on fire. The shape shifter was completely aflame. They all were. The stench of burning flesh was only overshadowed by their screams as they burned. Liv looked around for Olivia, before finally spotting standing in the thick of the flames. She just stood there staring... at her. Liv didn't think; she reached into the flames. It burned but she pushed through it, until she found Olivia's hand. As soon as she made contact, her hand stopped burning. It was as if the flames receded instantly. With one firm tug, Liv yanked Olivia from the blaze. To Liv's disbelief, she was completely fine. Her suit wasn't even singed. If Liv had any doubt what caused the spontaneous combustion of their opponents, it was gone now. Cortexephan was certainly for more than jumping universes.

The screams had stopped. There wasn't much left to them. Liv's eyes darted up and down the blonde; perhaps she wasn't fine after all. Physically she seemed okay, but she was almost non responsive. Liv literally had to drag her to the car. She drove around for a few minutes before settling on going back to the lab.

She wasn't sure if she wanted anyone to be there or not. Olivia needed to talk to someone that knew her, that could reach her. No one was. She led Olivia to the couch, and preceded to make a fresh pot of coffee, more to keep her hands busy than anything else. She returned to the couch with two cups, Olivia took hers without breaking her staring contest with the floor. Liv knew how she liked her coffee, but she wasn't sure how she knew.

They sat side by side for a long while as Liv reeled over what to say. She wasn't good at emotional stuff. Charlie would tease her about how bad she was at consoling victim's families. After awhile she just started talking, She might not even hear me anyway,

"So that was pretty badass, although I know you don't see it that way. You're frightened of the power. It's understandable. Crossing universes is passive; burning people is quite different. But I think you're letting the people who did this cloud your view. You're not a weapon for them, you're not a freak, and you're not a messiah. You're Olivia Dunham, one of them anyway, and no one controls Olivia Dunham."

"You don't know me." Liv started, she honestly hadn't thought Olivia could hear her; she exhibited no reaction, no emotion. There are times when you don't realize something until you say it out loud. This was one of those moments.

"Wrong. I didn't know you. Back when I took over your life, when I was blind to the consequences of my side's actions. I feel I know you better than most people. Not because you open up to me, but because you cannot help it." Maybe Liv was the right person to talk to her. Liv had always been able to elicit a reaction. And that was what was needed now. A reaction, a feeling.

"What are you talking about?" Anger works. Liv wasn't fooled by the denial,

"You feel it too." She hadn't meant to have this talk now, but she needed to make Olivia feel and that was all she could think of. She wasn't sure what feeling the conversation would conjure, just that it would hopefully be enough to pull Olivia out of herself.

"Feel what? Annoyance, Aggravation? Impatience?" It was working. There as life back in Olivia's eyes. Her posture was no longer slack, but iron straight once more. She was back. It was worth whatever mess this conversation would bring.

"No those are reactionary feelings, not what I'm talking about."

"What then?" Olivia's tone was exasperated, but the way she pawed at her jacket, the way her pulse point raced visibly under her skin, it spoke of a different sentiment altogether.

"A pull. I could never describe it before today, but now I can because... I just jumped across universes... and it felt like that. That moment that rippling that spiraling out of control yet heavy feeling. You can't tell me that I'm the only one that feels that. I'm not blind." There as a long silence. Liv was certain that Olivia was going to pull away from the subject, or at least from their close proximity, but she did neither.

"I feel it." Olivia kneaded at her neck and looked away as she continued, "Of course I feel it. Gravity seems to shift a few degrees pulling me ever so slightly off kilter. I considered asking Walter about it, but I didn't even know how to begin to explain... all I could come up with was, two identical objects from opposite universes should not interact." Liv couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips. Of course Olivia had sought a scientific explanation for their sexual attraction,

"What about your Lincoln and mine? I don't see this happening to them." Olivia shook her head,

"It's the cortexiphan, it changes things." She's seriously thought about this. How long has she been feeling the pull? From the beginning like me?

"You think us kissing would be the end of our universes?" She knew Olivia was dead serious, but she couldn't hide the amusement in her voice.

"Not a risk I intend to take." Liv's amusement grew. Olivia sounded less like she believed what she was saying, and more like she wanted to believe it.

"How much colliding would it take? A touch?" Liv reached out and let her fingertips slide from wrist to elbow. Olivia didn't answer, nor did she move away. And that was all the invitation Liv needed, "a kiss?" She leaned in until she could feel Olivia's shallow breathe on her cheek. Olivia was so flushed. Liv felt flushed as well. She ran her nose against Olivia's, swallowing up her whimper. Liv grazed her lips over Olivia's, teasing her. "More?" She wanted Olivia to rise to bait, like she did back in the tank. She was delicious regardless, but she wanted to bring dominant Olivia back. Liv ran her lips down Olivia's neck, roughly pulling out her ponytail with one hand and clawing her nails down her thigh with the other. Judging by the low groan that escaped Olivia's throat, Liv had succeeded.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bring on the Smut

**Memories from the morning rolled over her, wave after wave; they rose and crested, the rumbling of her stomach broke her moment of serenity, a rarity for her – it must have been past noon if she had to guess- but she was far too sore and sated to move. Liv cracked one eye open, her gaze immediately fell upon her bedfellow. Olivia was draped over her. Blonde hair strewn about around her face, set aglow by a beam of light streaming in from one of the lab's many windows. She seemed somehow volatile and steady at the same time. A sleeping storm. The rain had finally stopped, but Liv couldn't for the life of her remember if it had ended while they were sleeping, or before.**

A kiss of passion quickly turned into forceful, desperate, openmouthed kisses as Olivia lifted Liv up off the couch in one swift movement. Liv found herself promptly deposited on the nearest lab table. She instinctively clung to the edge, papers scattered by the now extra crispy shape shifters stuck to the sweat on her palms. Her arms strained against the onslaught. Olivia seemed to have given up on her mission to avoid contact and instead was trying to press as much skin-to-skin as possible. Her lips were everywhere, teeth nipping possessively from time to time, before moving on. The shirt she'd borrowed was ripped over her head; Liv hadn't bothered with a bra.

Olivia pulled back for just a moment and Liv caught the briefest look of hesitation in her eyes, but as soon as she registered it, it was gone. And there was no mistaking the intent of her gaze now. Eyes so similar to her own raked over her partially exposed body with voracious intensity. Never before had someone's gaze elicited such a carnal response within her. _Perhaps there's something to Olivia's theory after all._ Just as Liv gathered enough wits to wonder when Olivia had shirked her shirt and jacket, Olivia smashed their lips together once more and Liv was lost. Fingertips stroked circles around her breasts,  _Tease,_ weaving their way into her hair, pulling on the small hairs at the nape of her neck. Pulling Liv farther into her.

She smelled of smoke. It was in her hair, in her clothes, on her skin. It was oddly alluring; reminding Liv of a festival her mother had once taken her to in Jacksonville. It involved a bonfire that towered over her, albeit she was only 7 at the time. The heaviness of the scent further hazed her already hormone-addled mind. A ragged sigh clawed its way out of her throat as she felt Olivia's hands clutching her inner thighs, pulling her legs apart to draw even closer. Colours blurred together; the air was being sucked from her lungs. Olivia moved decisively against her, vibrating against her hedonistically.

Liv felt her everywhere. Olivia moved rhythmically, restlessly against her. Her senses were overwhelmed by the teasing swirls of Olivia's tongue and the feel of her hot breath on her skin. Olivia bit and licked trails across her abs and in the valley between her breasts, leaving goosebumps in her wake. Hips ground into her centre with increasing frequency. The pressure was equal parts exquisite and excruciating.

The hand that wasn't alternating between kneading her breasts and running tight circles around painfully hardening nubs was digging hard into her lower back, pulling Liv ever tighter against her. Soft cries died in the back of her throat as Olivia lingered to swallow up every one of them. Liv wanted to touch her, but she found herself unsure what would happen if she were to release the death grip she had on the table. It was taking all her strength just to stop from falling flat against the table. It would be easier, and more comfortable, but it would be the ultimate sign of submission. To her surprise, a part of Liv liked the idea, craved it even. Why else would she have tried to bring out the dominant side of Olivia that she'd glimpsed in the tank from her side if not to allow herself to finally be taken. She always seemed to be the one doing the taking.

Perhaps it was because she had come to this conclusion, or perhaps it was just a coincidence, but at that moment Olivia sucked hard against her, so brutally, in fact, that it sent a rippling shock straight along her spine. She jerked, her grip released and she was on her back moments later. Olivia nipped at her collarbone just below the soon to be bruise, soothing the reddening skin with her tongue.

Liv's hands crawled down Olivia's firm stomach searching for the zipper to her trousers. Olivia caught them before they reached their destination. The blonde seized delicate wrists and pinned them firmly above her head, lowering down in a slow, passionate kiss. Liv couldn't help but writhe beneath her. Her hips bucked against Olivia's knee as it rode into her. Liv grunted with each connection of their bodies, each pushing the redhead further towards her edge. Liv fisted the papers spread out about her head and arched into Olivia's every touch and ministration.

"Take me." Her heart was pounding; her breath ragged. Liv wouldn't even have been sure that Olivia had heard her, if she hadn't abruptly stilled against her at her words. She hovered, Liv's wrists in one palm, her breast in the other. With a an unmistakable growl, Liv found the flimsy cotton pajama pants she'd donned earlier pulled down the length of her legs and thrown across the room. A bra wasn't the only thing she'd neglected to put on. Wearing damp underwear out fighting shape shifters was far too unpleasant of a scenario to consider.

Olivia released her hands and leaned forward, bracing a hand on each side of her head and lifting so she could fit her hand down between their bodies. Liv gasped as the blonde's thumb finished its trail trough her curls and pressed against her clit. She teased Liv's entrance with slow, soft circles before she gently slid two fingers inside. The redhead's walls squeezed at her fingers, already craving more. She began tight circular massages with her thumb as she watched Liv squirm under her. Strokes that were soon accompanied by her tongue.  _Fuck._

Olivia's pace was slow, not rushed or forceful, as she massaged Liv's sensitive bud with broad strokes of her tongue, watching as Liv was left whimpering behind hooded lids.

Liv's nails dug into Olivia's shoulder blades, begging for more pressure. She was answered with quicker, more forceful rocks that Liv matched with her own, each more desperate than the last, until their rhythm was lost and Liv finally came undone. It was like fire and ice. It burned and broke and burst, vibrating through every cell in her body.

**Red gashes crisscrossed along the blonde's otherwise unblemished back. Liv's fingers traced each groove, part of her wanted to feel bad about it all- from the red marks on her back to everything else. But she couldn't bring herself to feel it. She was happy. She felt good. And maybe she could conjure up some remorse, if it had been just sex. But it had been more than that.**

Her ears were ringing, or maybe an angel was singing, Liv was still riding out the aftershocks of her orgasm and she didn't really care. Her back was sore, she could feel a number of soon to be hickeys and she was pretty sure her inner thighs looked like they had been used as a scratching post. And in a way they had. Despite all of this, she felt ridiculously good. Giddy even. Liv liked to think of herself as someone capable of taking a lot in stride. It was what made her such a good soldier; it was what made her a good Fringe agent.

Liv was ready for a great many things when her ears finally stopped ringing and she found herself back on earth – in the wrong universe – having just been utterly and spectacularly fucked by an alternate version of herself. What Liv wasn't ready for was the feeling of tears falling on her stomach, or the sound of Olivia's silent cries. There are some silences that truly go unnoticed and unheard. And then there are the silences that scream at you. But Liv was a good agent, and she took it in stride.

Olivia was trying to detangle herself from Liv's grasp, but Liv wasn't having it. She grabbed onto Olivia's face with both hands and pulled her close. She wrapped her bare legs around the blonde's calves to hold her still against her. Olivia was half on top of her. Liv briefly pondered the weight limit for standard lab tables in this universe. Their breath mingled again; Liv's deep post-coitus panting and Olivia's shaky, shallow gasping. Liv wiped tears off Olivia's cheeks with her thumbs, patiently waiting for Olivia to meet her eyes. There were a lot of things that could be getting to her; it hadn't been an easy 24 hours. Somehow Liv knew what it was that affected her so, but just as she knew this, she knew Olivia would have to be the one to bring it up.

It only took a few minutes for Olivia's eyes to find hers. Their faces were centimeters apart, Olivia's bottom lip was sticking out as she tried to smooth away the lines of pain from her face. Liv bit down on her lip to keep from kissing the protruding temptation, it was not the time.

"Watching you orgasm,"  _Wow, right to the point there._ "was one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life. The way you completely came undone around my fingers. The look on your face, the complete release of it. While I very much enjoyed bringing you to that point," Olivia's eyes were still watering but one corner of her mouth tugged into a shadow of a smirk, "I found myself ridiculously envious. I can't do..." Olivia waved her hand around aimlessly in the space around them, "that." Liv tightened her legs and pulled the blonde to her until her still wet slit came in contact with Olivia's bare abs, which clenched deliciously against her.

Liv gave a small smile, "What? You've never orgasmed?" Olivia shook her head, and Liv's hands fell to rest on bare shoulder blades, stroking soft circles along he spine.

Olivia opened and closed her mouth a few times like she was deciding how to answer, "No. Not that. It's just I can't... let go like that. Sometimes late at night I ponder my humanity. They took so much from me. I've tried to pick up the pieces..."

Liv cut her off,"You think them using you as a science experiment made you incapable of trusting enough to let go in bed?" Olivia looked like she was considering nodding, but instead she just met her eyes steadily. Liv shook her head in disbelief,"Forgive me for being tactless, but that's ridiculous. Ever think that perhaps it had something to do with the men you were in bed with? I mean your most recent man was secretly working for the NSA, and the guy before that one that screwed you over for a promotion. Perhaps your instincts were right, perhaps you just weren't listening to them."

Olivia's eyes narrowed, "you were doing research into my past relationships."

"Not all of us had the convenience of a memory download," was what Liv wanted to say. Perhaps she was maturing, perhaps she cared more about Olivia's feelings than satisfying her need to have the last word, perhaps she was just too tired to start a fight, whatever the reason, instead she said, "Being brought over to this side to work a case and suddenly being given access to all your case files, I was curious so sue me." Olivia seemed to have moved past the digging Liv had been doing in her past and instead reflected on her words.

"Maybe." And though she had whispered it, Liv didn't need to strain to catch the word; she could practically taste it, it was so close to her lips. They lingered for a moment, when Liv suddenly felt Olivia moving against her again. Liv's wetness made for smooth indulgent strokes and Liv took a moment to register Olivia's next words as the haze once again began descending over her senses, "and what about you? Should I be trusting you?" Her voice was hoarse, filled with equal parts lust and incredulity, but Liv felt more than heard an honest question in her tone.

Liv pulled away briefly to grab a hold of the button to Olivia's trousers. She didn't undo it, she simply ran her fingertips along the hemline delighting in the way it made Olivia's breath hitch, "I think you know I won't hurt you." Olivia nodded absently, her eyes fixed to Liv's mouth and Liv took that as an invitation. Pushing her back, Liv hopped off the lab table and backed the both of them up onto the couch. Olivia slowly sank down unto the cushions, looking equal parts lustful and bewildered,

"But why do I know that?" Liv had finally removed the pants in her way, and settled down to straddle Olivia's hips; she tossed the red hair obscuring her view over her shoulder with a grin,

"That's a question for another day."


End file.
